


It Has To Be So Lonely (To Be The Only One Who's Holy)

by 1Temmie_Official1



Series: Northern Downpour Sends Its Love [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Katara (Avatar), Brown Haired Yue (Avatar), Episode: s01e19-20 The Siege of the North, F/M, Firebending & Firebenders, Firelord Iroh (Avatar), First Kiss, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Katara can be a little mean as a treat, M/M, Misgendering, Moon Spirit Sokka (Avatar), Multi, Northern Water Tribe, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, POV Multiple, Polyamory, Precious Aang (Avatar), Tags Contain Spoilers, Trans Zuko (Avatar), Waterbender Yue (Avatar), Waterbending & Waterbenders, Yue (Avatar) Lives, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, by Zhao, i can't believe I didn't tag that before, ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27686171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Temmie_Official1/pseuds/1Temmie_Official1
Summary: The Siege of the Northern Water Tribe.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Ozai (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Ozai & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Sokka/Yue/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Yue/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Northern Downpour Sends Its Love [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957609
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49





	1. Another Stranger (We're Not The Same)

**Aang**

It had been a few weeks since arriving at the Northern Water Tribe. Aang had, admittedly, not practiced waterbending as much as he should have. It was just that he had never been here before, even 100 years ago! It was all so fun and the people were nice and Katara loved to practice her waterbending too, why would he want to take her practice time away? Plus! She looked super cool and very pretty when she was absolutely outshining everyone else. It was like she was a new person- like she had found a part of herself in her waterbending. 

Okay. So maybe Aang was slacking off. That was okay, though! Katara was a much better teacher than Master Pakku, she made it fun and the way she explained it made loads more sense than whatever "you have to let the water flow through you, you are resisting it" meant. The Northern Water Tribe was awesome, apparently, Sokka liked it too. He hung out loads with Princess Yue and Prince Zuko, they all seemed to be good friends. Momo and Appa seemed to like it as well! Aang visited Appa every day, Appa seemed to love the care he got in the stables. Momo didn't like the cold so much but Momo did love the snow.

Today, Katara was facing off against Sangok. Sangok was pretty cool, but he didn't like waterbending much, he would rather be in foreign affairs but his dad made him learn waterbending. He wasn't that good at waterbending but Aang appreciated his effort. Katara easily defeated him. She was so strong! Master Pakku turned to Aang, asking him about "something-somthing master". Aang was practicing! Master Pakku just didn't see all the work he had done.

Oh yeah! After this would be the perfect opportunity to show Katara how he could make himself into a snowman! Good idea!

Pakku did not like Snow-Aang.

-

**Sokka**

Sokka checked over his supplies once more. Picnic basket. Zuko could keep some of the non-cold foods warm. Yue could un-freeze the water if it got too cold. Katara had annoyed at him, but this was one of their first dates, Sokka wanted to make it special. Both of them came to the pre-planned meeting spot.

"What do you have planned, Sokka?" Zuko asked, his hand in Yue's. Yue waved to Sokka. Sokka was slightly jealous of them but was quickly reminded that Zuko had two hands, and so did Yue.

Sokka smirked. "I'm going to introduce you to my good friend Appa."

"Appa?" Yue and Zuko said in unison.

"Appa," Sokka confirmed, leading his partners to the stables where Appa was surely held.

-

Sokka, for all intents and purposes, was very happy he had the critical thinking skills to hand his bag over to Zuko. Unfortunately, he didn't think ahead and actually spend time with Appa beforehand, because he should have seen this coming. So now, he was laying on his back as a bison slobbered all over him. Hindsight was an exact science, after all.

"I guess you haven't been spending as much time with Appa as you should have." Zuko deadpanned.

Sokka flushed. Finally, Appa stopped licking him and he was able to get up. He brushed himself off. Yue's smile was worth making a fool of himself.

"Well, there's something you'll like a lot."

Yue approached Appa, letting him sniff her hand. "I like him plenty, but why do we need to picnic with him?" Sokka motioned to Appa's saddle (which he had put on beforehand), and Yue flashed a small bit of understanding. "Oh, he's a riding animal."

Sokka barked a laugh. "Don't let Aang hear you call him that, Appa's Aang's best friend." He looked between Zuko and Yue conspiratorially. "He's a riding animal, I'll help you get on."

Yue, with minimal help from Sokka, climbed up onto Appa. Zuko followed suit, and Sokka hopped on last. Sokka checked over everything, making sure that neither Yue, Zuko, or himself would fall off Appa on accident. None of them seemed to have any conversation topics. Zuko, his usual awkward self, was the first to break the silence.

"Is anything going to happen?"

Finally, Sokka finished up pre-flight checks. "Oh, you can bet on it. Appa?" Sokka posed the question to the sky bison, who rumbled in response. "Yip. Yip." He smirked. Immediately, Appa lifted, taking off. The view never got old, the Northern city below becoming smaller and smaller, the vast expanse of water below filled with ice, all of it was amazing. Yue gasped in wonder, Zuko clung to Sokka for a moment, then eased away in embarrassment. Yue snorted at the interaction. 

They flew higher, flurries of snow beginning to drift down. All of them looked down at the view as they got slowly farther away from the city. Now they were a decent distance away from the city, close enough to get back if needed but far enough away for privacy.

Sokka, once he was sure that Appa wasn't going to crash into the sea for any reason, turned to the picnic basket he had prepared. "I have cured meats, water, some akutaq." Sokka pulled out each item in turn. A particularly cold wind blew by, causing Yue and Sokka to shiver. "It's cold up here." He observed, leaning into Zuko, Yue doing the same. The air around him was warm like a campfire or the fireplace in his home. "Wow, you're hot." Sokka blurted. Sokka immediately realized what he said and blushed red. "I meant that like that you're really warm. You're attractive too, don't get me wrong I-"

Of all the places Sokka thought he would have his first kiss, especially his first kiss with a boy (wow, he could barely believe he liked boys but now that he knew it felt right), it was not on Appa's saddle more than a hundred feet in the air. It was warm, the pressing of lips against lips. Sokka was shocked, eyes flung open as he stared at Zuko's face. It felt right. Sokka closed his eyes as well, melting into the kiss.

They pulled away for air. Sokka was giddy. Holy _fuck_ that was his first kiss. His first actual kiss. Holy shit! Zuko's piercing amber-brown gaze met his. "Shut up."

Sokka dumbly put a thumbs-up in agreement. Yue laughed. "Well, that's one way to get him to shut up."

Sokka blushed in embarrassment, so did Zuko. Zuko pecked a kiss on Yue's cheek. "It worked." Zuko pointed out. Sokka was about to respond when-

"What's this?" Yue held out a hand. On it was a flurry of snow coloured smoke-black. Sokka was frozen. Mom. The black snow. Sokka turned his head to the sky.

"Black snow. A lot of it," Sokka said. He was terrified, and he was man enough to admit it (wow, Sokka from months ago would have been _so_ offended). "Fire Nation. It was the first sign of the raids." The words fell from his lips like water off of rainforest leaves, eager to get them off as quickly as possible. Wait! That might be why- Sokka whipped to face Zuko. "You didn't invite any of your Fire Nation buddies, did you? Like, say, more than 20?" He didn't keep all of the desperation out of his voice, but he didn't want a repeat. He didn't want that again. He didn't want anyone to die again.

Zuko looked heartbroken. No. _No-_ "I'm sorry. There's only this much smoke on warships." Warships. There were warships. Sokka was filled with anger.

Fury forced his stupid mouth to open. "You ended the war yet-"

"Sokka!" Yue ended Sokka's rant before he could begin. Yue turned to Zuko. "There must be a good explanation for this. Right?" She was desperate too. Desperate to believe the Fire Nation wouldn't do this again. Sokka wished that he could be the same.

Zuko was stricken. "We don't use warships anymore, they've been put out of commission or repurposed as carrie-" He cut himself off. "No. No!" Zuko screamed. Now Sokka and Yue were confused. "Over the past few months, there have been carrier ships stolen. There've been errors in the catalogues, we wrote them off as mistakes. There might be..." Zuko was as terrified as Sokka (Sokka suddenly felt very bad about yelling at him). "There might be a rebellion. There are still people who agree with my- with Ozai. He could be the one leading this..." Zuko trailed off. He was staring at something on the horizon. 

Warships. 

At least 40 in total. The Fire Nation has- _had_ an extensive military, now that it was decommissioned it didn't pose much of a threat, especially since Fire Lord Iroh had put extensive laws in place to prevent too much use of the military beyond protecting (actually protecting) the Nation. Plus, the ships in use weren't for war, only for patrolling the seas around the Nation and fending off the occasional pirate ship or two. The cavalry was almost completely dismantled, but some soldiers stayed as law enforcement or guards. Nothing that anyone would find outrageous (except maybe people who thought that a nation should be left destroyed with a power vacuum that left for dictatorship). (His father had told him about this when he came home. The South still had to rebuild so much, and since his father was chief he was constantly on trips to settle boundary disputes, reparations, that he was away as much as he was during the war.)

But this? This was war. This was a serious rebellion. A serious force of people who wanted to siege the Northern Water Tribe.

Sokka broke out of his spell. He grabbed Appa's reins, turning him around. "We have to warn Chief Arnook and Fire Lord Iroh," Sokka stated, picnic date long forgotten. On the outside, he (hoped he) appeared calm, but inside his heart was raging. Terror, giddiness, stress, panic, sadness all welled up inside him like a clogged artery, threatening to suffocate him.

Yue put her hand on his. Sokka just hoped it would turn out okay.

-

"Chief Arnook-" Sokka started. Oh fuck that was the Fire Lord and Chief Arnook. Sokka had just kissed the Fire Lord's nephew. And he was also dating the Chief's daughter. Why was it only _now_ that he realized this? Sokka because hyperaware of how close Yue and Zuko were to him. Well fuck. "Fire Lord Iroh." Sokka bowed, imitating Zuko's bow from when they met. He bowed lower than Zuko, though, that was probably how the bowing system worked. It seemed to have worked, or that was just how the Fire Lord was. Sokka wasn't quite sure, it wasn't like he spent time with the leader of a nation which had been an enemy for years, and Zuko wasn't offering any pointers.

"What is it, young Sokka?" Fire Lord Iroh responded. If he wasn't so panicked, he would have found this situation too surreal.

Sokka straightened. Hopefully, he didn't cause an international scandal by bowing wrong. Oh, he would probably cause an international scandal by telling the leaders of the n- okay don't activate the fear of public speaking. "There is black snow, and Zu- Prince Zuko, Princess Yue, and I saw wa-warships on the horizon." From the corner of his eye, he could see Yue and Zuko agree with him.

Fire Lord Iroh's expression grew grim. "Thank you. We need to prepare for the worst."

Chief Arnook frowned. "Why were you even together in the first place?"

Oh fuck. International incident time. "I-"

"Chief Arnook! We are under attack!" Sokka had never been happier to see Pakki or whatever his name was. Then again, low standard to meet because Sokka had never been happy to see him.

Thank La the Chief trusted Pakko. His face was grim. "Then we need to prepare for the worst."

-

**Katara**

Katara remembered the first raid she had seen. The snow was black and it confused her. It had scared her before she had even known what it meant.

It terrified her now. Aang, oh sweet Aang, he was so confused.

Damn every sexist asshole _*cough cough Pakku cough cough*_ to Koh, Katara was going to fight. The Fire Nation betrayed them. Tui's light, she was finally going to get to beat up some firebenders.

"Katara!" Katara turned to her brother. "Don't go beserk on the Fire Nation, they're rebels who are aligned with ex-Fire Lord Ozai." Sokka quickly explained. Oh. Shame. 

Katara huffed mockingly, hoping sarcasm would hide the fear. "Sokka, you know I wanted to beat up your boyfriend-"

Sokka shushed her. "Hey! Yue and Zuko's parents don't know about how we're, ya know," he leaned close to her conspiratorially. "Together."

Katara fixed him with an unimpressed stare. "Fun." She deadpanned.

Sokka paused. "You okay?"

Katara thought. _Black snow, running, mom, **mom-**_ "I will be." Sokka saw her anger and her fear. He had the same look, but he was lucky. So fucking lucky. Because he at least got to forget, he didn't have to see her face. He couldn't even see her face. Katara shook her thoughts away. She was going to be okay, she was going to stop being so bitter.

She didn't know when, though.

-

Katara spent all day fighting. The trebuchets of the Fire Nation had somehow managed to launch huge balls of flaming... something at the wall of the Northern Water Tribe. Sokka was lucky. He got to spend all day "protecting" his girlfriend and boyfriend, while she was on the front lines. She knew subconsciously that she was being mean but she was fending off flaming projectile after flaming projectile, she deserved to be mean, as a treat.

She was tired down to her bones by the time the sun had begun to set. Finally, _finally_ the Fire Nation rebels ceased the attack. She slumped back, quickly waterbending a snow-chair to sit in. Katara peered up at the sky. The dot that surely was Appa was approaching.

Letting herself rest for just a moment longer, she went to greet him. By the time she had gotten there, Aang was sitting by Appa, head cradled in his hands.

"I can't, I can't do it." Was what Aang seemed to be muttering over and over.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Aang sighed.

"I must have taken out a dozen ships, but there's _more_. I'm just a kid." His voice was so broken. Katara put her arm around his shoulders. "Hey, we'll get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow we can find a solution."

"Yeah." Aang yawned. "Tomorrow."

-

The next day was very different. This day they didn't have continuous attacks, and for one Katara was thankful. Partially. They sent projectiles randomly just when they began to let their guard down a bit. At least this time Katara had the opportunity to guard Aang.

Katara gazed up at the sky. The sun was dipped below the horizon, the light already faded to the cool blues of the moonlight. A boom from the gate. Princess Yue, Sokka, and Prince Zuko were doing... something. Sokka was trying to feed the fish. From a picnic basket. That Prince Zuko had brought. Katara didn't dwell on it.

_BOOM!_

Katara shot up. It was nighttime, why were they attacking? The sounds of the fighting grew louder. Katara gathered a ball of water, bracing for something to come through the door at any moment. Yue, almost completely accurately mirroring Katara's stance, gathered a- she was a waterbender too?!

"Nice waterbending," Katara said, slightly shocked.

Yue smiled bashfully. "Thanks!"

Katara paused. "Don't worry, I can handle this."

Yue gently moved her water back into the spirit pool. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

If only Katara was.

-

**Yue**

Yue didn't want to know how they got there. One moment, Aang was meditating, the next he was scared for the moon spirit.

Then everything was bathed in a sickening shade of red.

Silence. Even the person who had done such a horrible act seemed to be almost in awe. Yue's head hurt.

"I am... a legend, now!" The crazed man said. Yue grew angry at the sight of him and could feel the water ripple at her command. Still, he went on. "The Fire Nation will, for generations tell stories about the great Zhao who darkened the moon! They will call me Zhao the conquerer!" He was _reveling_ in his own narcissism. Yue was seized by anger. How dare he! "Zhao the moon slayer! Zhao... the invincible!" Yue was thankful Momo had swooped in and broken the spell this 'Zhao' had placed.

Like a switch had been flipped, everyone shifted into righteous anger. Katara was first to speak.

"You're outnumbered! Give it up, Zhao!" Katara demanded. "Get away from the moon spirit!" She growled. Yue could only fixate on the white koi inside of the bag, thrashing hopelessly. The red light of the moon seemed to warn them of the danger, the fear that Tui felt. The black koi was growing restless, and Yue could tell that the oceans were beginning to roil in La's anger.

"But I have you out planned! I have someone more powerful than you peasants." Zhao spat. "A god amongst you filth." The hooded figure said nothing. Zuko glared at Zhao.

"You're weak. A coward." Zuko started. Yue could see the subtle shift into a more active fighting stance. "The war is over-"

"The war is never over, don't you understand!" Zhao roared. He took a breath. And smiled. It was a vile thing, a disgusting curl of the lips. "You are all lost. Princess Zuko, you shouldn't be with these, these, traitors! Join us! You used to be devoted to the war-"

"Don't fucking talk about the war, like you would know anything about it!" Sokka snarled. Both parties were at a standstill. Zhao was prepared to slay the moon spirit. The rest were ready to attack.

"I think I do."

Yue was shocked to see that it was the hooded figure was the one who spoke. Slowly, like Koh himself was the one under the cloak, his hands reached to the hood and...

The face was that of anger. One who had revelled in pain and suffering so said his eyes. His eyes were sickeningly familiar, golden brown like tawny screech owls. His long hair tied up into... a royal topknot? Yue felt he was familiar, but she had never seen his face before. There was something familiar in the shape of his jaw, the line of his cheekbones, the slope of his nose.

Zuko faltered. "No. No, you can't be here." He sounded so young, so terrified. He recognized the man. Yue felt like she was sinking. She had never seen Zuko seem so scared.

"You recognize me? I thought you'd forget after _six years_." The man goaded. Six years-

Zuko's eyes were as wide as the full moon above. A single word dropped from his lips, a whispered admission. 

"Father?"


	2. (If It's Not Real) You Can't Feel It With Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Zuko's eyes were as wide as the full moon above. A single word dropped from his lips, a whispered admission._
> 
> _"Father?"_
> 
> \- 
> 
> The Siege of the North just got a lot realer, and a lot more personal.

**Zuko**

Zuko remembered the last time he had seen his father.

He was ten years old, laying in bed. Lu Ten had died. Uncle was nowhere to be found for the moment, hadn't been at home since they had gotten the news. Something had happened, Zuko had known it. His father had been on edge that whole day, and Zuko had gone to bed terrified. Hopefully, it would be better in the morning.

If only.

"Rise and fight."

Was what he heard that night. His father's voice was low and angry. Zuko, despite the lull of sleep from earlier, had shot awake.

Zuko sat up slowly. "Father-"

"Rise and fight." He had demanded again, dragging him out of bed and throwing him to the ground. He crashed onto the ground, lowering himself into a surrender. It was shameful. Dishonourable. But he would not fight his father.

"Father, I am your loyal son-" The correct word had slipped out without his meaning. The dread in his stomach dropped to the floor, and Zuko hadn't felt true terror until this moment. He stared anywhere but his father's face, at the cool stone of his bedroom floor.

His father's face was stony above him. "That's the problem. You don't have respect." His hand cupped Zuko's face. It was so warm. So warm. "You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

Zuko didn't remember the rest.

He thought a lot about that say. It was almost quite literally burned in his mind. He thought about what he would say to his father if he ever met him again. He thought about telling him off, about moving on. But Zuko had realized long ago that a part of himself never _had_ moved on. A part of himself was still that scared little boy on the ground of his bedroom. A part of himself never let go.

That part of Zuko was staring him in the face.

His fa- _Ozai_ grinned at him, revelling at the look of terror on his face he never quite mastered hiding. "You do remember me. Good to know you still think of me when you look in the mirror. _Shameful_." Ozai crooned.

Zuko recoiled as if he'd been slapped, tensing to a defensive position. It had been six years. But all the progress he had made, all of the coping and recovery and _normalcy_ that he had gained, it seemed to evaporate away from his fingertips as Ozai stared him in the face. All the 'rules' he had learned for his own survival came back to him. All the 'rules' he had tried to forget, but it was too late to employ the tricks of the trade that was living with Ozai because Ozai was like the sun. The sun was too powerful to look at directly. It was made of fire and pain. It exposed him and left him defenceless. It burned him.

"That's Ozai?!" Sokka cried out in shock. Stupid boy, that was the wrong thing to say (Zuko thought it without meaning. Maybe he never did change.). Zuko was too scared to move. He wanted to. He wanted to get to Sokka, to Yue, to Katara. To anyone, but he was utterly and completely paralyzed.

Ozai sneered- oh Agni oh fuck- "That is _Fire Lord Ozai_ to you, _peasant_ ," Ozai spat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katara shift out of her bending stance in shock. Wrong move wrong move-

"My daughter. How you've changed." Ozai's gaze swept over Zuko. Six years apart had done Zuko well, for Ozai Zuko could not say the same. He was noticeably thinner, probably because he didn't subject himself to living like a "peasant". It looked like he obsessed over himself in mirrors, keeping himself to a higher standard despite not living at the palace anymore. Not a hair was out of place. "Still keeping up this... phase of yours, I see. We'll have to remedy that when you join us."

Stupid Zuko, always having to open your mouth. Always having to do what's 'right'. "I'm not joining you," he shouted. His hands flared with heat.

Ozai frowned at this, eyes flashed in warning. "I was not asking." Ozai's voice was level but Zuko could hear the danger beneath it. Laid like a trap waiting to be sprung, and Zuko was the bumbling fool not paying attention to the ground. He never had been the brightest anyway (that had always been Azula's job-).

"You _burned_ me." The words were ash on his tongue, they flared on his face. It hurt him to say it. It was the truth. "I am _never_ going to join you."

The world slowed and held its breath in anticipation. Ozai paused, and when he spoke his words were clipped like song sparrow's wings. "Fine."

For a moment, everything was still.

Then, "Zhao, kill the traitors and capture the Avatar and my treacherous daughter. I want to be the one to end her life." Ozai ordered, and that's when everything turned to chaos.

**Aang**

"Father?"

Aang didn't know Zuko that well. He was a fun person, Aang thought, but Zuko spent a lot more time with Sokka and Yue than Aang. That made sense, Katara and Aang were always busy with waterbending practice, they never really had time to bond with Zuko.

Now Aang almost wished he had. It hadn't occurred to him before, but now that it was- quite literally- staring him in the face, he saw that Zuko was more than the awkward Fire Nation prince.

He was Ozai's son too.

And it hurt him so much, it had hurt Zuko so much to be the son of someone so... horrible.

Aang was only able to stare, all he could do to keep from running away as Ozai called Zuko his "daughter". Gross, Ozai was a huge jerk. Zuko seemed terrified in a way Aang had never seen before on anyone. Suddenly he lit like a roaring fire finally poked in the wrong place.

Suddenly a horrible, no-good thought octopus-wormed its way into Aang's mind. He might have to _kill_ Ozai. He didn't want to, it would be horrible to end someone's life, and it would go against everything that the monks had ever taught him. It went against everything he believed. The world stood still. Ozai was defenceless, if Aang attacked him now, he could end it all. The revolt, Ozai's move would be over in one fell swoop. One life in exchange for many.

"Fine."

But Aang was a coward. And he held his tongue.

"Zhao, kill the traitors and capture the Avatar and my treacherous daughter. I want to be the one to end her life."

And that was when it turned to chaos.

"Brother."

Standing at the door of the sanctuary, Fire Lord Iroh stood. It was at this moment that Aang remembered what Sokka had told him. Fire Lord Iroh used to be a general of the army. He led the siege of Ba Sing Se. Ozai shifted into a fighting stance as well. "This isn't your fight, Iroh. Let me deal with my daughter."

Iroh shook his head. He looked sad. "Your _son_ was never yours. You are a mad dog. And I am to be the one to put you down." It was spoken with conviction. A death sentence.

"So be it."

-

**Sokka**

Sokka had never been so grateful for sparring with Aang. The gymnastics that Sokka had to learn to even have a fighting chance with Aang paid off because he was able to get around Zhao while Ozai and Fire Lord Iroh brought their fight to a different area. Sokka was able to get around Zhao to hold his blade to his neck. "Drop the fish. Not just for me, for everyone in the _world_. Even the Fire Nation needs the moon. So drop the fish, or my blade is going to slip. And that won't be fun for either of us."

Sokka could feel Zhao stiffen. Then, mechanically, he dropped the bag and let the fish fall into the pool. The fish swam happily, joyed to be reunited with each other. The sky returned to its calming dark blue, and Sokka could hear water rushing from the battles outside. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yue and Katara experimentally waterbend, and he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. Sokka relaxed away from Zhao, letting his blade drop away. That was his fatal mistake. 

Zhao suddenly grew furious, and Sokka wasn't fast enough. Sokka couldn't stop him as an arc of flame raced towards the koi fish.

If the red sky before was terrifying, what happened next was fear.

The sky seemed to lose all colour, and as Sokka looked up in sickening anticipation to see the moon... he searched the sky for its familiar glow but... The moon was gone. Only a black canvas in the sky where it used to be.

Zhao... Zhao was proud. He was so fucking proud of himself despite having doomed the world. Sokka charged at his turned back. And no one stopped him as he placed a well-deserved clonk to the back of his smug head.

Zhao crumpled to the ground like a paper doll.

Sokka could hear the Fire Nation ships shooting projectiles. He could hear the screams of the people outside. And most of all he could hear Yue crying.

"It's over." She sobbed. And Sokka was a lovesick fool, it was his best and worst quality. He couldn't do anything to comfort her.

"No, it's not." A voice echoed with many- no. Two voices. One so old and dark and deep it carried with it the voices of lives past. And the other one belonged to Aang.

Sokka turned to Aang. "What do you mean?"

Aang didn't say anything. He only walked eerily closer. The black koi swam frantically around Aang with no partner to mirror. As if it couldn't get any creepier, Aang dropped straight in.

And with him rose the ocean.

Sokka was too tired for this shit. He turned to his partners. Zuko, still shaken from seeing- and again, Sokka was way too fucking tired to process this- his father and wasn't very good at comfort. Sokka put a hand on her shoulder, which was shaking with her sobs. He couldn't see her face.

"It's okay, Yue, we can... we can do this."

Yue stilled beneath him. "I know what I have to do." She stood. And walked to the side of the pool. Katara turned to Sokka.

"What's she doing?"

"What makes you think I know?" He cried, rapidly looking back to Yue as she cupped the white koi fish in her hands.

"I... the moon gave life as a baby. Maybe I can give it back."

"No!" Sokka rushed to her. "No." He said, quieter. In a sick way, she was right.

"Yue, you don't have to do this. There _has_ to be another way." Zuko pleaded. Yue shook her head, tears falling again. "Remember what you told me- about how you didn't want to be a pawn in the royal scheme. You didn't want to just be your duty, you wanted to be a person." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I love you, I can't lose you." Zuko sobbed.

Yue squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Zuko, Sokka. It's the only way." She turned to Katara. "Take care of them, they'll need you."

"Yue, you aren't going to die!" Katara scrubbed at the tears in her eyes. "You aren't going to die." She repeated.

"I'm sorry."

And she was engulfed by a blinding light.

A blinding light that Sokka ran into as well.

-

**Yue**

When Yue was young her father told her the story of the Wellerman. It was from back in the days when animals were still like spirits, still purely "one" type of animal. When the mythical creatures called 'whales' existed. How there was an obsessed captain, he had to get a whale. What he didn't know was that this whale was a whale _spirit_ , and it had trapped the captain and his crew out at sea for days and days and days on end. That was when her father usually pretended to end it and send her off to bed. When she was younger she had begged for the ending of the story, over and over. And over and over he told her the end. The only way the whale hunter could free his crew from the curse of the whale spirit was to sacrifice himself. At the end of the story he did and it ended happily ever after.

But now Yue was the captain. She was the holder of the curse, and she was the only one that would be able to free her friends, her _lovers_ , the only way to give them a fighting chance. 

She had never understood, when she was younger, why the captain had stood on the bow of his ship at the stormy sea below. Why hadn't he wanted it over quick? But now Yue was on the edge of her own ship. And she was the one staring at the roiling waters. She didn't want to die. But she loved too much. So she took her last breath, her last wonderful breath of air, and jumped.

Someone caught her.

-

Yue didn't know what happened after that, only that she woke up face up on the ground. She sat up. The moon was bright. It was alive. She put a hand to her face. She seemed solid. She pinched her arms. She hissed. Yeah, she was alive too.

"Yue!" Zuko rushed to her, embracing her in a hug. She looked around herself. Fire Lord Iroh was seated beside her, steadying her up. He smelled like smoke and fire. She ignored it. Aang was babbling on about what she had missed out on, Yue really wasn't paying attention to him at that moment. Katara ran healing water over her body, making sure she was okay. It felt nice. She relaxed into it.

"What happened?" She said slowly. Someone was missing. She sat up abruptly. "Where's Sokka?" Her stomach sank. Was he...

"I'm okay," Sokka said from behind her. She turned around.

 _Oh_.

His hair was as white as the moon and stars themselves. His eyes were glowing faintly dark blue. Sokka gave an awkward smile. "Freaky, right?"

She reached a hand out to touch, before withdrawing as she realized how rude she was about to be. "I'm sorry." She was so tired. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Sokka became frantic. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You did good. Now we're _both_ part moon spirit!" He wiped the tears from her eyes. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Wait, lemme show you." He gently reached back, pulling a strand of her hair so it was in front of her eyes. It was white like Sokka's. "Also I don't know if you can tell but your eyes are glowing blueish too."

Yue blinked in surprise. "So are yours."

Sokka smirked. "I know."

"You're a dork, you know that right?" Yue giggled, lacing her hand in his.

Sokka shrugged, tucking the strand of hair behind her ear. "You love me anyway."

"You're right, I do." She chose that moment to kiss him, eyes fluttered closed. She felt him stiffen, before melting into it. Yue heard Zuko clapping enthusiastically. She smiled. She was so in love with _both_ of her boyfriends.

A groan caused them to break away from their kiss.

"What..." A pause. "NO!" Zhao screamed, eyes fixed on the full moon above. "It was gone! It was _gone!_ " He screamed.

Suddenly, a great hand of water controlled by something no waterbender could do themselves- _the ocean spirit_ \- grabbed Zhao and dragged him under the waves.

"Well," Sokka stated, half in shock. "That happened."

-

**Katara**

After a day or two of rest and recovery, the North was certain they had run out all of the Fire Nation rebels and deemed Team Avatar ready to travel to the Earth Kingdom in search of Aang's earthbending teacher. Also, apparently, Yue and Sokka only glowed at night on full moons. Sokka was very much relieved that he didn't have to deal with "freaky glowy blue night eyes" all of the time. Katara loved the Northern Water Tribe, it was the first place that she could bend with other people and learn about bending with other people. But now that she was a master it wasn't really necessary. 

Katara packed her things. Yue had insisted that the North showed their utmost courtesy and give all of them a fair amount of new supplies. Zuko and Fire Lord Iroh had insisted that the Fire Nation give them a small amount of coin to repay them personally for the harm their nation caused. A "small amount" by their standards was more money than Katara had ever owned in her whole life.

A knock on her door. "Come in!" She yelled without turning.

"Hello, Katara!" Katara looked up. Yue was in more travel-esque robes, the part of her hair that was usually in that double-ponytail thing was now in a simple bun.

"Oh, hi, Yue." She turned back to her packing. "Are you wishing me goodbye?"

"No." Oh? "I'm coming with you. Zuko too." She announced. Katara broke into a grin and spun around to face Yue in her excitement.

"That's awesome! We didn't have another girl in our group before, this is going to be great!"

Yue laughed, a bright twinkling thing. "I mean _someone_ has to date your brother, and I'm not going to let Zuko have all the fun."

Katara snorted. "Good luck, you can have him. One less problem for me." She joked. "Hey, I'm almost done packing, can you meet us down by the docks? We can select which ship to travel on together."

"Sure."

-

They all stood on the docks, pointing out ships and debating the pros and cons of letting Appa fly above them.

"So," Fire Lord Iroh said conversationally. Katara could see where Zuko got his awkwardness from, at least partially. "Princess Yue and young warrior Sokka are together?"

Katara burst out laughing at not only Fire Lord Iroh's statement but 1: the confused look on Aang's face and 2: The blushes Zuko, Yue, and Sokka had on their faces. "I'm surprised you didn't see earlier, they're _all_ together- wait a second." She glared at Sokka. "I _told_ you not to start an international incident with them!"

Sokka shrugged. "Whoops?"

The laughter that filled the dock promised a brighter future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just McFucking realized that in this AU Ozai was never Fire Lord so all the times you heard me call him ex Fire Lord Ozai? No you didn't <3
> 
> Also the whale myth is based on the song "The Wellerman" by The Longest Johns, def recommend if you like sea shanties.


	3. Broken Hearts and Twisted Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus

**????**

Ozai came into the chamber, fury written all over him. He was hunched slightly more, and he gripped the railing with more strength than usual. He had clearly just been in a fight. The other one in the room snuck a glance at his fingers. There were singes on the sleeves. A firebending fight, then. They leaned back in their chair, repositioning themselves so it did not appear as if they were going to be disrespectful. Ozai didn't react well to disrespect.

Ozai sat down across from them, drawing himself up in a way that was typical of the Fire Lord.

"The siege of the North was a failure because of that fool, Zhao," Ozai stated. They were surprised but wrestled it down in time so it didn't show on their face.

"Forgive me for asking, but why was _I_ not allowed to lead the siege? I have the skill and strategy-"

"Are you countermanding my orders?"

"No."

"You were to stay here and lead the fleet. It would be foolish to leave my entire army without supervision, you were the perfect candidate. And if one of the Water Tribe savages came here, you are perfect to defend them off." Ozai stated. They felt stupid. Of course, Ozai wouldn't do that for his own personal reasons, there was a reasonable explanation right there. (Why does something seem off-)

"I understand."

Ozai slowly sat up straighter, preparing to leave the room. He paused. "You have been slipping up on your training."

Their heart beat faster in their chest. "Only to prepare more for-"

Ozai cut them off. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You don't want to end up like your brother, do you?"

"Of course not, Fire Lord Ozai." The words fell from their lips almost in a rush. Their mind filled with the image he had painted in her mind. The glimpse she had seen of him. She didn't want to end up like her dead brother.

"Good." Ozai stood, towering above her. "I expect you to join me at dinner, Princess Azula." He cupped a hand on the left side of her face and she resisted leaning into the comfort. It felt just a bit too warm for comfort. It was a warning. A reminder. Ozai left, the door clicking behind him.

Azula relaxed finally. She reached a hand to her left side. She dragged her fingers down the warm flesh. Tear streaks of anguish that would never fall.

She lived with a murderer.

And she loved him.

She tried so hard for so long to forget about what he had done, to focus on what he did for her, but she wouldn't take it anymore. She was tired of _always_ having that one thing that Zuko had been better at. She was tired of being second best to a ghost. She was tired of that ghost haunting her.

The only way she could be the best was to escape him and avenge her brother.

Azula stood up, putting on a perfect mask and show for no one.

She wouldn't be coming to dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (:<

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Playing God" by Paramore.
> 
> You have to appreciate the pun tho.


End file.
